Comparative Chloroplast Genomics of Litsea Lam. (Lauraceae) and Its Phylogenetic Implications

Litsea Lam. is an ecological and economic important genus of the “core Lauraceae” group in Lauraceae. The few studies to date on comparative chloroplast genomics phylogenomics have been conducted as part other Here, we sequenced whole genome sequence auriculata, endangered tree endemic eastern China, compared this with previously published sequences 11 species. genomes 12 species ranged from 152,132 (L. szemaois) 154,011 bp garrettii) exhibited a typical quadripartite structure conserved arrangement content, length variations inverted repeat regions (IRs). No codon usage preferences were detected within 30 codons used genomes, indicating evolution model for genus. Ten intergenic spacers (psbE–petL, trnH–psbA, petA–psbJ, ndhF–rpl32, ycf4–cemA, rpl32–trnL, ndhG–ndhI, psbC–trnS, trnE–trnT, psbM–trnD) five protein coding genes (ndhD, matK, ccsA, ycf1, ndhF) identified divergence hotspot DNA barcodes In total, 876 microsatellites located genomes. Phylogenetic analyses using 51 additional complete demonstrated that grouped into four sub-clades Laurus-Neolitsea clade, polyphyletic closely related genera Lindera Laurus. Our phylogeny strongly supported monophyly following three clades (Laurus–Neolitsea, Cinnamomum–Ocotea, Machilus–Persea) among above investigated Overall, our study highlighted taxonomic utility Litsea, genetic markers here will facilitate future evolution, conservation, population genetics, phylogeography L. auriculata